1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to multiple image display device and, in particular, to an edge-lit, multiple display device useful as an animated toy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous children's activity drawing toys are currently on the market. The notable products which are manufactured and offered for sale by The Ohio Art Company are: ETCH A SKETCH and the ANIMATOR. The ETCH A SKETCH product requires the child to rotate two knobs to control an XY-plotter underneath an enclosed sandwich of graphite powder. Moving the plotter point scratches out a line in the dark powder. The ANIMATOR product has a liquid crystal digitized display window that is controlled by the child to create, store and playback, in animation fashion, a series of monochromatic images consisting of liquid crystal sectors which are alternately displayed and cleared.
Edge lighting display of menu sign boards has become popular over the last several years. These sign boards typically comprise a glass or acrylic panel that is in contact with a light source, such as a fluorescent bulb. The bulb is positioned along an edge of the panel and the light is internally reflected within the panel, as the angles of incidence of the reflected light beams striking the internal top and bottom surfaces of the plate are insufficient to permit transmission of the light through those surfaces. Light therefore travels through the plate, but only shines through the edges because of total internal reflection. However, drawing on the top surface of the plate with a water base wax crayon provides a medium density change that allows for light beams to travel through the coating deposited by the crayon; thereby illuminating the line or drawing and causing it to appear to an observer that the images drawn on the surface are actually being lighted, similar to a neon light effect.
To our knowledge, it has never been known to utilize edge lighting in a manner to create animation, in which multiple surfaces are individually drawn on and then selectively illuminated in a sequential fashion so as to provide an observer or observers with multiple illuminated images alternately appearing and disappearing in the same apparent position, simulating full color animation and also providing an active device for commercial signs that could be quickly and easily changed or modified by the user.